Submission method options

Assignment 1
Value: 10%
Due date: 29-Nov-2015
Return date: 21-Dec-2015
Length: Approx. 1000 words
Submission method options
Alternative submission method
Task
Question (10 marks)
Assignment 1 consists of one problem question based on Text material. Text material which may be relevant to this question may be drawn primarily from any of Text chapters 1,2 and 3
Answer the following:
This summer appears to be another scorcher. Coca Cola and all the major drink companies are banking for record sales of fizzy drinks. During the past decade the government have pressed for healthy eating and drinking habits as unhealthy Australian culture is costing the government an enormous amount of funding for health care. The government is consistently trying to raise awareness of the sugar content of some of the fizzy drinks via multiple advertising. It appears that that this might have had an effect after all. Coca Cola has reported that sales have been slowly dropping over the years for its fizzy drinks and upon closer look there are now many smaller businesses selling healthy drinks all around the major cities such as Boost Juice. Using the concepts of demand and supply (chapter 1, 2, 3) analyse the change in the trend of healthy drinking for fizzy & healthy drinks.

Rationale
The question addresses the following learning outcomes:
be able to apply demand and supply analysis to make a range of market related decisions
to be able to identify and critically evaluate opportunities for specialization and exchange
to be able to make decisions that incorporate the relevant benefits and cost analysis
In your working life you will be required to present arguments and explain your decisions. Economics gives you tools to do this. However, many of those with whom you work will have little, if any, understanding of the principles of economics and their application. To communicate with these people you will have to put your arguments succinctly into language that they understand. This does not mean that your argument is any less rigorous or sophisticated. Rather, it means that you are being asked to communicate important concepts and decisions in a manner that most people can understand. We see this as the most important result of your study of this subject and therefore a passing mark (50% to 64% depending on the quality of your answer) on any question will require that you are able to successfully explain to the lay person (one who has not studied economics) the issues associated with any question. Thus in the first part of an answer to any assessment question in this subject you will be required to summarize, in a non-technical manner, the essence of a correct answer.

Of course, you will need to know and understand the relevant theory and associated diagram(s)/model(s) on which you are basing your answer. Thus in the second part of your answer to any question you will be required to correctly outline the basic theory – including the construction and explanation of the diagram(s)/model(s) associated with it. This ability to theorize will indicate your ability to place the issues raised in the question into an appropriate theoretical/abstract context from which to further examine the economic issues and to draw appropriate conclusions. If you successfully complete both the first and second part of an answer you will be awarded a credit mark (65% to 74% depending on the quality of your answer). The third part of your answer requires you to correctly utilize the diagram(s)/model(s) to illustrate the changes to the diagram(s)/model(s) that the circumstances discussed in the question imply. This will illustrate your ability to manipulate the tools of economics. Students who successfully complete this part of the question (in addition to the first two parts) will be awarded a distinction mark (75% to 85% depending on the quality of your answer). Finally, in the fourth part of your answer, you must correctly analyze, using the diagram(s)/model(s), the impact of the change on variables and issues of concern, determine if a response is required (by business or government), what that response should be and predict the impact of that response in both the short-run and the long run.